Equity

Latest Episodes:

Ego-ish: how tech's main characters are all a bit different Dec 07, 2022

Show notes

This week, Natasha chatted with Alex about ego, how recent news from Sam Bankman-Fried and Elizabeth Holmes gives us a window into how it works, and impacts on the tech and venture landscape.

We talked about:

What Holmes and Bankman-Fried have in common, from centralized ownership to a cult of personality
The differences between the two entrepreneurs, and why their stories tend to blur together
How Adam Neumann, Elon Musk and others fit into the conversation
Learning lessons from startups from a chaotic, and main-character-driven year

We have a lot of really fun stuff coming up in the next week or two. Thanks for sticking with Equity in 2022, and we cannot wait for 2023.

Equity drops every Monday at 7 a.m. PT and Wednesday and Friday at 6 a.m. PT, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. TechCrunch also has a great show on crypto, a show that interviews founders, a show that details how our stories come together and more!

Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. Bryce Durbin is our Illustrator. We'd also like to thank the audience development team and Henry Pickavet, who manages TechCrunch audio products.

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Is this what good news feels like? Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

Stocks in China are ripping higher on news that its drastic COVID-related policies could be starting to ease. It's a long way from a reopening, but after years of hard-edged lockdowns, Chinese tech companies are breathing a sigh of relief — at least in valuation terms. Shares are down in Europe and the United States.
How much are Chinese equities rallying? Bilibili is in the lead, up around 16% in pre-market trading. The day's gains won't cover all prior losses, but for the nation's beleaguered tech industry, the valuation gains are beyond welcome news.
And sticking to the good news vibe, the fact that the U.S. central bank may slow the pace at which it raises interest rates could provide some useful tailwinds to tech companies.
The Circle SPAC deal is off.
Giraffe360 raised new capital, which surprised us, given our perspective on the housing market.
And we closed with notes on ChatGPT, the thing that everyone on Twitter cannot stop playing with.

Equity drops at 7 a.m. PT every Monday and Wednesday, and at 6 a.m. PT on Fridays, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotifyand all the casts. TechCrunch also has a great show on crypto, a show that interviews founders, one that details how our stories come together, and more!

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Are we bullfighting in Spain? Because that's a red flag Dec 02, 2022

Show notes

For the last time in 2022, the whole Friday gang got together to chat through the latest and greatest in the world of technology and startup news:

ResortPass raises money. Mary Ann explains the business model.
Post.News raises money. Alex digs into what he likes and doesn't like about the new Twitter competitor.
SBF wants you to know he had no idea what was going on. We are not so sure.
Venture red flags are great in hindsight, but would have been more useful last year.
Layoffs at DoorDash and Kraken are a reminder that we're still in a risk-off environment when it comes to tech spending today.
Plus, the latest regarding Pipe, and Alex's notes on Series A and C rounds.

Equity is not done for the year, but we are settling into our final 2022 holiday groove. This is Alex writing this, and I wanted to take the moment to thank you for sticking around with us this year. Really. I think we broke a bunch of records in terms of downloads and the like. Wild that the show just keeps getting bigger. Hugs.

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How tech PR's job changed in 2022 Nov 30, 2022

Show notes

Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.

This is our Wednesday show, where we niche down to a single person, think about their work and unpack the rest. This week, Natasha interviewed Vijay Chattha, a startup comms leader who has spent over 20 years in the storytelling world. Chattha is the CEO and founder of VSC and founding partner of VSC Ventures, a $21 million investment vehicle to back startups.

Here's what we spoke about:

How his clients are reacting to the downturn in terms of their openness, vulnerability, and general hunger to tell their story
The difference between pitching a VC and pitching a journalist (lol)
How startup's goal with media coverage can sometimes inherently clash with the media's goal to cover a startup (and why we disagree on the importance of disclosing valuations)
The best framework for the different types of media form out there, from Twitter to billboards to earned media.
How the #MeToo movement impacted leadership styles and changed accountability for the better
If we're getting closer to a more transparent ecosystem, or more opaque one
And of course, we end with a lightning round - including but not limited to Chattha's biggest pet peeve with journalists.

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What's next on crypto's chopping block? Nov 28, 2022

Show notes

It's me! Hi! (I'm not the problem, just the podcast's host, here to bring you the latest greatest in startup and tech news this fine Monday morning). Welcome back to Equity, the podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines. And for those of you who hummed the first sentence of this post, extra points to you.

I'm starting things off this week as a test run before Alex heads on paternity leave. We have lots to get to, so shake off the holiday feels and let's remember how this ecosystem works?

Here's what we got to:

The markets are broadly down, due to COVID-19 protests breaking out in China.
Blockfi filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Our crypto reporter Jacquelyn Melinek has more on what happened - and she explains just how intertwined this universe is. I'll also get to notes I took from our recent crypto conference and how the reality may be looking like Web 2.5 before it looks like Web 3.0.
We also talk about Amazon's three-pronged retreat, and the common thread of India between them all.
After that, some good news from all-women led venture firm Pact and its debut fund. More funding for climate startups, please. Tim keeps writing about really cool ones.
We end with a note on Pipe, a $2 billion fintech that announced all of its co-founders are stepping down from their roles last week. Soon after that decision was announced, rumors and allegations began flying about tensions under the hood at the fintech. Mary Ann Azevedo has the story and keep reading the site today for the follow up. As I said on Twitter, on one end, when three founders step down in a single moment, people are undoubtedly going to talk and worry (out loud) about the stability of the company.

That was fun. Thanks for letting me spend a bit of your Monday with you. More to come! You can follow me on Twitter @nmasc_ or on Instagram @natashathereporter.

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Party rounds are either the dinner party of your dreams or the one where no one shows up (re-post) Nov 25, 2022

Show notes

Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.

While the Equity crew unwinds from Thanksgiving here in the U.S., we're bringing you one of our favorite conversations from this year:

Natasha, along with Alex's help, asked: Who should be raising Party Rounds?

The episode was inspired by Natasha’s recent Startups Weekly column, “When the party has confetti but no allergen-friendly appetizers" and the companion TechCrunch+ piece with Anita, “Investment clubs are cool again, and maybe community is, too.”

Here's what we got into:

The definition of party rounds, boundaries and the fact that we don't entirely agree on if there needs to be a lead or nah
How has party round funding changed? What place do they hold in the ecosystem?
Is this vehicle better for experienced founders versus first-time founders?
The pros and cons of each side

Equity drops at 7 a.m. PT every Monday and Wednesday, and at 6 a.m. PT on Fridays, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. TechCrunch also has a great show on crypto, a show that interviews founders, one that details how our stories come together, and more!

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Tech’s homogeneity problem Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.

This is our Wednesday show, where we niche down to a single person, think about their work and unpack the rest. This week, Natasha interviewed Karla Monterroso, a long time leadership coach, racial equity advocate and the founder of Brava Leaders. We talked about her route into the leadership coaching space, but mainly sought to answer questions about the challenges facing executives today. Here are some of the topics we touch on

Diverse leadership and the unique semblance of power on a person of color
How she's thinking through the second-order impacts of Elon Musk's Twitter takeover and what signal it sends to the industry.
Tech's homogeneity problem and if it's getting better or worse
How leaders can cultivate a workforce that leans into conflict
And of course, we end with a lightning round - including but not limited to how Monterroso would define 2022 in a headline.

We'll be back Friday with a festive rerun of an old episode. For those celebrating, happy Thanksgiving and, needless to say, we're very thankful to have you here.

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Good morning, assets are selling off Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

Hello, and welcome back to Equity, the podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.

Note: Equity will be back on Wednesday, and Friday in some capacity. But keep in mind that this is a holiday week in the United States, so things are going to be a little bit slower than usual.

Here’s what we got into on our Monday episode, a weekly kickstart to your week!

Stocks are largely down around the world, and crypto prices continue to deflate. Watching both these asset classes lose value in tandem feels like the worst horse-race in history. No matter what you hold, it's a bad Monday.
Twitter CEO Elon Musk decided to bring former American president Donald Trump back to Twitter. Ironically, the former president is so far declining the option and wants to stick to his own social network, Truth Social.
FTX owes $3.1 billion to its 50 largest creditors.
In more positive news, Wove just raised a nearly $3.85 million Seed round, and SponsorUnited's big Series A proves that nine-figure early-stage valuations are not dead!

In closing, Natasha will host the Monday show next week as we get ready for my parental leave!

Equity drops at 7 a.m. PT every Monday and Wednesday, and at 6 a.m. PT on Fridays, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. TechCrunch also has a great show on crypto, a show that interviews founders, one that details how our stories come together, and more!

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Pick your poison: recruitment or retention? Nov 18, 2022

Show notes

Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.

This week, Alex and Natasha discussed the latest and greatest of this consuming news cycle. Our goal with the episode, as always, is to go beyond what you may see in a 140 character-take on [insert big story here]. And in today's recording? That wasn't hard at all.

We started with our good news segment: 1) Maven, now valued at $1.35 billion, is answering a countrywide demand: More fertility benefits and 2) Alibaba eyes logistics growth in LatAm as China commerce slows. We love a chance to talk about growth, despite all odds and even trends!
Then, right off the heels of our amazing debut crypto conference, we take a minute to talk about the FTX Fall out. Yep, we're talking about how one African Web3 startup got screwed over and why SoftBank joined Sequoia in marking down its investment in the crypto exchange.
We then turn to the latest in layoffs: Amazon's 3% cut, cuts at Morning Brew and Protocol, and Musk's latest attempt to recruit (or retain?) Twitter employees. We still don't know what's happening there, don't ask us. Ok fine, you can.
And we'll end by throwing this gem here, with little to know context: I volunteer as tribute.

And that's wrap. As always you can follow the show on Twitter, leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts and, most importantly, be kind to your people. Talk soon!

Equity drops at 7 a.m. PT every Monday and Wednesday, and at 6 a.m. PT on Fridays, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. TechCrunch also has a great show on crypto, a show that interviews founders, one that details how our stories come together, and more!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corporate comms for the startup soul Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

Hello and welcome back to Equity, TechCrunch's venture capital focused podcast where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.

Today we have something a bit different for you. In light of the never-ending Musk-Twitter saga, and news that the new social media CEO had cut its corporate communications staff to the bone -- and then some. So to get more perspective on the role that a corporate comms team plays in both startups and public companies alike, we wrangled two folks who have just that experience set:

Kelly Boynton, senior director of communications at Gusto
Keyana Corliss, until recently the head of global communications and PR at Databricks

The pair discussed the role that comms plays in companies both internally and externally, and why it deserves a seat at the decision-making table. Given the media furor surrounding Musk himself, you can imagine that we had a lot to talk about.

Oh, and Keyana has a podcast that Alex was a guest on, in case you want to hear more from her! Regular service returns tomorrow!

Equity drops at 7 a.m. PT every Monday and Wednesday, and at 6 a.m. PT on Fridays, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. TechCrunch also has a great show on crypto, a show that interviews founders, one that details how our stories come together, and more!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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